Friday, August 31, 2012

﻿This is one of the easiest eye shadows to use, they come in a 'stick' and you can just roll right over your eye. It's a primer, base & shadow all in one! Sometimes I'll use one as a liner, but today I did a quick and easy smoky eye. The best part it these shadow sticks DON'T BUDGE, they stay in place all day until you use make-up remover. (Nobody likes a raccoon eye). Check out the Mally Beauty website they have instructional videos on how to use these shadow sticks to create different looks!

Thursday, August 30, 2012

As we all already know, I live and die by sample sales. When you have an unlimited addiction to feed on limited funds, these events are like golden tickets. But you can't just walk into a sample sale willy nilly like some casual shopper - or you might get run down by, say, me. And you won't really benefit from it. There is a code for sample sales. And you must live by the code. This is the only way you will walk out with a feeling better than that of when your true love proposes, or you get the promotion you've been working for for five years. People keep telling me that only I put sample sale victories over these milestones, but I think those people are style-less nitwits who just don't get it.

1. Plan. I already read Racked and The Cut daily, but one of the reasons for this is their amazing coverage of sample sales. You should have two calendars. One for sample sales and one for everything else. First fill your calendar with the upcoming sales you want to go to. Now compare to your regular life calendar. Cross out any prior commitments and write the sample sales over that. I cannot think of one thing more important that you would have to do.

2. Research. I cannot stress this enough. If you walk into a sale blindly, it will end in tears. Don't say I didn't warn you. I study more for sales than I did for my SATs. And you know what? I did just fine on my SATs, thank you very much, because they are easier to wing than a sample sale. Look at everything from that designer for the past few seasons, or narrow it down if you know what will be there. Make a wish list ordered by your priorities. Failure to do this will result in you suffocating under a pile of clothes you have senselessly pulled from the racks that you don't even want and end up falling under in a fit of anxiety. If you go in prepared, you will move through the racks like a well-trained ninja, grabbing everything you see that you actually want and being able to form a well thought out group of things to choose from in the end.

3. Punctuality. I am not early for anything ever in my entire life except for sample sales. This may require missing work, but every boss should understand this is a legitimate excuse for absence and if they don't, lie.

4. Preparation. Does the sale only take cash? Well, does it?! If you don't know, you FAIL. You need to walk in there with the exact type of payment you need.

5. Dress right. The fitting rooms at sample sales are either nightmarish or non-existent. And if you're modest, well, good luck to you. You need to wear something that requires no changing. Something that you can slip things over wherever you're standing, but still be able to see how it will fit in real life. I recommend a unitard. Something like this:

(Image from katyc1990.wordpress.com)

If you're too modest even for that, go for a well-fitted black tank dress or a tank and leggings - make sure the tank is long, though, because even in such special circumstances it is still NEVER okay to wear leggings as pants. But you know that, or you wouldn't be doing fashion-focused things like going to sample sales. Also, remember that every sale will make you check your bag and coat, so avoid these. Even in winter, that's what friends and boyfriends are for. Make them stand outside with your coat. And invest in one of those wearable passport cases that senior citizens wear when they go to Spain, so you can strap your cash and credit card to yourself. Waiting in that line will just slow you down.

6. Put your game face on. Get tough. The people in there are not your friends. Even if you came with your friends. All bets are off. I want your shoulders squared and your elbows up ready to take a person out. If you grab something at the same time as someone else, point behind her and yell "Oh my god, it's Man Repeller!" Once she's distracted, grab your spoils and run. If someone tries to talk to you, ignore them. Let them know you mean business. This is not social time.

7. The final decision. When you have a pile, you might want to narrow it down. This is when your best thinking-on-your-feet skills come in. You need to act fast and wisely. Look at each item for 30 seconds and really think of whether you'll wear it or not. If the answer is no after that 30 seconds, toss it.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Lulus.com has long been my not-so-secret secret for working trends without having to skip paying rent for the month. And from right now until tomorrow, 08/29/12 at midnight, our beautiful readers in the US and Canada can get 15% off sitewide by entering the coupon code SOBBINGONFIFTH. That's all caps, remember, because it's important. There is literally a ton to choose from for you to find an item to use this 15% off on, but here are a few of my suggestions:

I cannot believe this sleek, cool, minimalist dress is only $35 - and would be even less if you picked it to use your 15% off on.

Obviously everyone needs a biker jacket for fall, and this navy version is an update on the cool classic. From downtown-chic brand Motel, this $125 piece is a great pick for your coupon code.

These pants could not be more on trend - or strikingly pretty. OR more amazingly priced: $44.

All the most important designers are putting their own spins on menswear-inspired loafers, and now you can work the look for only $28.

Put an a la Pamela Love or a la Borgo twist on your look for only $20.

Monday, August 27, 2012

If you haven't heard about Hampton Sun then you need to climb out from whatever shaded area you're living in and step into the sun. I am completely obsessed with this company. Here are my three favorite items:

This sunscreen gel is a lightweight non-greasy formula. No need to put on UVA/UVB protectors, moisturizer, antioxidant, or anti-aging cream, tanning oil, or shine spray because this has it all! So, calling this a 'sunscreen' is a giant understatement: when was the last time you applied a sunscreen and looked silky smooth with a gorgeous sheen all at once? Oh yeah, and it will also get you a uniform tan without the harmful rays from the sun, in case you were wondering.

This face cream is your all-year everyday face cream, whether you have oily, dry or combination skin, this face cream will work for you. It has SPF 15 which you really want to have on everyday. It's light and non-greasy while still moisturizing. Just apply and go!

This may very well be my favorite Hampton Sun product. No matter your skin type, I order you to go buy it right now! I have it in 'Bronze', but it also comes in 'Pearl', and could not be easier to use: shake the bottle and spray a light mist onto the skin to achieve a gorgeous shimmery glow. This is one of the only products I have found that gives you a shimmery glint without making you look like a disco ball.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Today I took a long, relaxing shower, noticing my feet were in need of some major TLC. I only have a few weeks left to wear my summer sandals so fixing this issue became a priority. I used awesome and (at only $14.99 for two!) cheap Spongeables Pedi Scrub Foot Buffer in Lavender-Tea Tree Oil and got my toes back in sandal shape.

Super easy to use, just wet it and use the soft side cleanse and moisturize in tow with the scruffy side to exfoliate and massages your achy feet!

Now it’s time to moisturize! I don’t care what season it is, in my opinion you cannot over-moisturize. One of my favorites is Votre Vu Span Dragon Cream: it’s skin firming, antioxidant-rich and smells amazingly fresh and citrusy. Just apply a light layer from the neck down and as the cream is massaged into the skin your circulation is improved leaving you refreshed and fully moisturized.

Now that I am starting to feel relaxed, it's time to really step up the tranquility and light one of my favorite candles, the Tibetan Mountain Temple Soy Candle. Pacifica, honestly, has candle scents down to a science and they are ALL amazing. The 10.5 oz. size, which is $22, burns for 100 hours! (They also have two smaller sizes). Pacifica blends natural and essential oils to make a delicious perfume blend, so light the wick, sit back and relax.

Being completely in relaxation mode, it's obviously time to do my nails. Today I'm going to do a gradient manicure. It may appear a daunting task but is actually quite easy; be warned however, it can get a bit messy and you will need a few supplies!

First you will need clear and white polish. I chose to use a purple, pink, and blue for my three colors and then I did a top coat with the opalescent color all of the way on the right. You will need three colors for the manicure, but you can chose any three you want and there is no need to do an opalescent top coat if you don’t want to.

You will also need to buy some make-up sponges. Get the cheapest ones you can find and cut them in half.

Secondly, paint your nails white. While this isn't a necessary step, it does help; when you sponge on the three colors on a plain nail colors don't show up as vibrant as they do when you sponge them onto a white painted nail.

Next you want to paint stripes onto your sponge. Use PLENTLY of polish for this, the sponge will absorb most of the polish so you really want to glob it on there.

Now just put the sponge against your nail to apply the color, and yes, its fine to go over the same area more than once. You will need however to apply more polish to the sponge after each nail. Your finger will get polish on them, so use a Q-tip to clean up your fingers after you're done.

Voila! Look how beautiful your nails are!

I am ready to lay back and start reading the September Issue of Vogue.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Happy Friday, y'all. We wanted to start forcing you lucky people to know what're we're wearing once a week, and we thought it would be fun to show you what Sutton's wearing as far as beauty and what I'm wearing as far as fashion. Revolutionary stuff.

This mascara is actually a topcoat that you put on top of any of your favorite mascaras. Because I tend to cry at least 3 times a day or whenever I see anything I can't afford to buy, it is vital that I use this. So feel free to cry, swim or get caught in the rain, I cannot promise that your day will go well, but I can promise that you mascara won’t run! Just put on your normal mascara let it dry and then apply the Clear Waterproof Topcoat, it's light and goes on very smoothly. Don't worry it won't clump up!

My favorite T-shirt! This fiery Maison Martin Margiela T-shirt is my go-to for days I don't have time to think about what I'm wearing. Looks cool but feels dressed-down and low-key - which makes me happy, even though I look miserable here. Hey, it was the morning.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Saw this on The Sartorialist and I want to be wearing it. I'm not usually about these military/utilitarian shirt dresses, but I love how effortless she looks, and how she then instantly added some elegance with those animal-print sandals. I'm willing to bet this entire outfit would set you back so I took to the magical internet to find these pieces on the cheap.

Cute, right? Only $38 at Lulus, and you definitely are getting the look down. Personally, I would recommend getting this a size bigger than you usually are for that loose, laid-back vibe our street style inspiration has going on.

This belt is perfect - its ivory color against the olive green will keep that army vibe going but its bar details lend a little fashion flair - and it's only $18 at Karmaloop.

I did ya good, right? These will perfect the look, give you some glam appeal, and will only set you back $50 at Mango.

Follow the stylish lady's lead and finish the look with a neutral clutch. This one from Bank is only $23.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

I fancy myself quite the crafter. I am not. Sutton is, she is like a renegade Martha Stewart. It was one of her coping mechanisms when we got cut off - she went on a "If you won't buy it for me, I'll MAKE IT MYSELF binge." But I am not as talented and it makes me sad all day - because especially now with DIY being quite on-trend, I am constantly bombarded by amazing projects that seem. SO. Easy. And they're SO not. Everywhere you look, a blogger is saying "Oh, you can't afford that amazing designer such-and-such? No prob, just make it!" It would be easier and faster for me to train to be a firefighter and then take the graveyard shift and save up the money to buy such-and-such, trust me. But every now and then, there comes along a project so easy that even I can do it - there's hope for you, yet, my fellow spazzes and craft rejects. If I can do it, you can, and so there will be those few designer such-and-suches we can actually re-create.

This is a DIY I am particularly proud of. In a perfect example of what I'm talking about, since I first saw these sunglasses by A. Morir, I have seen the flower sunglasses DIY on some amazing blogs like HonestlyWTF.com. But I had to try it myself, because only if I can do it is it actually insanely easy.

And a few other designers did them, too, for SS12. I NEEDED them. But the price tag was a tad steep for something so of-the-moment. So I figured I'd make 'em. But I knew what would happen. The same that always happens. You see, in my head, my version would look just like above - what could be so hard about sticking some flowers on sunglasses? Inevitably, though, I knew my creation would turn out looking more like this:

I was wrong, though. This was so easy - almost too easy. You've seen this done on worship-worthy blogs like HonestlyWTF.com - but that girl is talented, so now watch a total failure do it. Proof you can do this in a hot second.

First step: Scour Etsy.com for your porcelain flowers. You can packs of pretty li'l ones for amazing prices, like 6 for $1.00 - that happened. Par exemple, check out this deal, 8 for $2.59 (and in black, how cool):

Second step: Buy sunglasses. I got mine at H&M for $9.95 because I'm cheap like that sometimes and I highly recommend it. Cat-eyes, y'all:

Third step: Acquire a hot glue gun. If you have a Martha-like friend like C, this should be no problem.

Fourth step: It will be hard to balance the flowers on the glasses without gluing, so don't worry too much about planning it out before you glue. Instead, just think about the pattern you want to do carefully before starting, making sure to complement the shape of your frames. Then start slowly - these suckers won't come off - from the corners. I recommend going side to side, so do one at one corner, then the one at the other corner and back and forth - it helps with symmetry.

Until you get...

And then finally...

Ta-DA!

Ready for their close-up...

THERE. Amazing and pretty and everything. Make sure you wear them all the time to prove to everyone that you're not a crafting reject. Except at night or inside because you know what we all think about people who do that.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

One of my favorite things in every issue of Elle is their little section of pages with collaged items that represent key trends. Every item is already amazing on its own, but when placed with other items in its trend in the haphazard collage fashion, its amazing factor soars exponentially and I HAVE TO HAVE EVERYTHING ON THE PAGE. Obviously the September issues have the best ones, and as it happens, this September kicks off the opportunity to finally wear one of my favorite trends: baroque. I wake up in a cold sweat sometimes, tortured by the fact that I can't afford the entire Balmain FW12 collection to represent the trend, but I am using it as a challenge to get resourceful and find royalty-worthy things elsewhere. For a bit of inspiration if you'd like to do the same, here are my top five favorite pages from the entire September issue of Elle, all representing the baroque trend or off-shoots of it, from needlepoint to lace. From Dolce & Gabbana to McQ Alexander McQueen, the moral of the story is to invest in all things floral, needlepoint-ed, lace-laid, gilded, beaded and dramatic. Oh, and apparently to pose in your baroque threads as if you had too much wine at the ball and are now letting the wind blow you around in the gardens.

Monday, August 20, 2012

So it’s summer, and you’re obviously wearing shorts and shirts and have some skin showing,and I hope you're not embarrassing yourself with dry patches! Your skin gets as thirsty as you do after a day in the sun, only I don't recommend a jalapeno margarita for your skin - just for you. So without further ado, I present my obsession, Yu-BeMoisturizing Skin Cream. Yu-Be has been around since 1957, so clearly I'm not with the times. Maybe after this I'll review these...

Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream $16This cream is very thick, and you can put it ANYWHERE! I recommend it all over your arms and legs paying special attention to elbow and knees. It is also THE BEST for your feet. Slather it on, followed by socks and go to sleep! (If you don’t like such a thick cream, they also have this product in a lotion which is very similar).

Skin Polish $18

This skin polish (face wash) has the perfect mixture of exfoliating your skin but being gentle enough for everyday use. After use, your skin feels very soft. Unlike most (or maybe all?) other face washes the exfoliating aspect is made from fine grains of rice bran and bamboo. It is also very refreshing.

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Our Story

We are Sutton and Astor Van Brigsby. We were born and raised on Park Avenue, a mere hop, skip and 30-second ride with our driver, Morton, from Fifth Avenue. Oh, yes, there was a time when our daily shopping trips were what chick-flick montages were made of – sales assistants scurried at our beck and call, we did lots of twirling in front of fitting room mirrors without spilling our glasses of champagne, and doormen helped Morton help us into the car with stacks of hatboxes – which had shopping bags of clothing and shoes inside of them, because we’re not really into hats. But our designer RTW-filled reality came crashing to a traumatizing end when our father went ballistic one day – WHY we do not know – and cut up our credit cards. Apparently, it bothered him that we had spent his secretary’s annual salary in one trip to Bergdorf. He completely cut us off, I mean stone cold. With the exception of health insurance, cell phone bills, cable and electricity, we are COMPLETELY on our own. Left to our own devices to stay as well dressed as before but on a salary that doesn’t even compare to our past allowance. So, I, Astor, took a job in fashion and Sutton took a job in beauty. It is all we know and love, after all, and we figured that way we would have our bases covered with discounts – what else is a girl to do? If you’re like us, trying to keep a closet stocked with the kind of stuff Bill Cunningham will notice you in on a less-than-desirable salary, join us, won’t you? We’ll support each other, we’ll have cry fests over things we can’t have – and we’ll come up with ways to make the number of those things less and less by hunting sample sales, scouring the internet for discounts and even DIYing up our own versions. We WILL get through this together.